deliberate

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Done on purpose, not by accident.

   The fire was no accident; it was a deliberate act.

2. 2
   adj

   Slow and careful, done after thinking carefully.

   He spoke in a slow, deliberate voice.

3. 3
   verb

   To think about or discuss something carefully before making a decision.

   The jury deliberated for hours before reaching a verdict.

Common collocations

• deliberate act Adjective + noun

Inherited from Middle English deliberat(e), borrowed from Latin dēlīberātus, perfect passive participle of dēlīberō (“to consider, weigh well”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + *līberō / lībrō (“to weigh”)), from *libera / libra (“a balance”); see librate. Doublet of deliber.

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